Denver City Council District 7 candidate Aaron Greco is reflected on a surface nearby as opponent Jolon Clark speaks at the start of a debate on May 13 at the Denver Channel 8 TV studio. (Brent Lewis, The Denver Post)

But his opponent, Jolon Clark, also has built a solid list of backers. His list might lack the star power that Greco has drawn, but a political analyst says it arguably may help him more in the June 2 runoff in the south Denver district. (With the caveat, of course, that endorsements might not matter as much as candidates hope they do.)

Clark led the nine-candidate field in the first round of the election on May 5 with 26 percent of the vote; Greco polled 16 percent.

Since then, Clark has locked up endorsements from six of the seven losing candidates, including from former state Rep. Anne McGihon, who came in third behind Greco by 28 votes. The seventh former candidate, Luchia Brown, has told Clark and Greco that she isn’t issuing an endorsement. Clark’s campaign also says outgoing Councilman Chris Nevitt is backing him, though he’s been a polarizing figure for some neighborhood activists.

“Of those two hands of cards, I’d rather be playing Jolon’s cards,” said Eric Sondermann, a Denver-based political analyst who’s been watching the runoff races.

Greco, a former congressional aide, has local endorsements from former Mayor Federico Peña; state House Majority Leader Crisanta Duran and state Rep. Alec Garnett — whose districts overlap council District 7 — and former House speakers Mark Ferrandino and Terrance Carroll. He’s also lined up backing from former bosses Ed Perlmutter and John Salazar, along with other well-known state Democrats.

But the thinking goes that the bigwigs aren’t always big draws for votes in local races. If, that is, endorsements really sway voters.

“I think endorsements tend to be overvalued as a general rule,” Sondermann said, “but I particularly think unrelated endorsements — like legislative endorsements in a council race — get particularly discounted (by voters).”

Each candidate has lined up backing from current council members — for Clark, from Nevitt, Peggy Lehmann and Charlie Brown; and for Greco, from at-large member Debbie Ortega and Paul Lopez, whose District 3 boundaries before redistricting included part of the new District 7.

In the runoff, Clark and Greco are battling for turnout as well as for the support of voters who backed the candidates who didn’t make the first cut, Sondermann said. “Clark, by all indications, seems to be at least winning the second category,” he said. “The first one (turnout) remains to be seen.” Mail ballots went out to voters last weekend.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.